A ßird Still Flies in a Gentle Rąin
by Amaryllis D. Namikaze
Summary: When the first child came to the world, he cried as if demonstrating his vivacity. He was held by one of the medics and did not stop until his twin sister was put beside him. Even then, there was no doubt: Seijūro and Tetsuhi took a deep breath at the same time and started living. – Overprotective!MiraGen KiseFem!Kuro AU.
1. Prologue

**Warnings: **somewhat AU, Fem!Kuroko, KiseKuro pairing, Akashi and Kuroko are twins (so Akashi!Tetsuya :), sometimes out of character acting, spoilers.

**Disclaimer: **it's a pity, but I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.

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**Prologue**

* * *

_**"T**he song of midnight cried out_

_And from that day on, I've truly…_

_**A**fter the twilight turned a translucent red_

_The stars lay in the sky and played their twinkling sounds_

_Without even being told to be more open_

_Already my tears brought my feelings along_

_And became a small sea at my feet_

_**T**he song of midnight cried out_

_I truly hate being alone more than anything_

_And from that day on, I learnt the hard way what was important_

_**A**h, all I need is being able to scoop up happiness with a tiny spoon_

_As long as I have someone to share it with."_

[…]

- Mayonaka no Orchestra (Translation), Aqua Timez

* * *

**W**hen the first child came, he cried as if demonstrating his vivacity. He was held by one of the medics and did not stop until his twin sister was put beside him. Even then, there was no doubt: the Akashi twins took a breath at the same time and started living.

They had nothing and everything in common.

Seijūro was the older one. His creamy skin was very much like his sister's and they shared the same face's shape. A tuft of red hair sat atop of his head while he slept in the hospital. Next, there was Tetsuhi. She was slightly smaller and had tiny hands curled into fists. Her hair appeared to be less because of its light color – powder-blue.

From the very moment they were taken home, Seijūro and Tetsuhi were together. The former was a quiet baby and the latter, an energetic one. When they were old enough to play with their toys – together and sharing, of course – the red-haired was always the one to take care of his cheerful sister, simply because she never stopped to take a nap and rest.

Their father, Akashi Seitarō, was a busy man as he had an entire company under his command. The twins didn't let it affect them too much, becoming used to seeing their father only at night or just feeling him briefly kissing their forehead when tucking them in bed.

Their mother, Akashi nee Kuroko Ayūmi, was a sweet and caring lady. She was the one who taught them how to read and write, and was always free to play with her children. Ayūmi was kind to everyone – the twins, her husband, the maids and butlers, even the fishes the family once had.

Tetsuhi and Seijūro were five when she died from severe pneumonia.

The younger sibling had cried for weeks and the only one who managed to calm Tetsuhi down was Seijūro. Not that the red-haired boy wasn't feeling sad – he was. Extremely so. But his once cheerful sister suddenly couldn't stop sobbing and having nightmares about their mother's final moments in the hospital.

Seitarō had no idea of what to do and became even more distant. Not to say that he didn't love his children with all his heart – he, of course, did. But Ayūmi had been much better at parenting than him. The chief-maid, Rin, started to look after the twins during the day while he was working.

Suddenly, Tetsuhi went from energetic to quiet. Her blue eyes – so much like her mother's – were too big on her face while she cried and Seijūro couldn't bear this new personality of his sister. She was supposed to be the light, the sun. He was older and more responsible – the reasonable kid, full of abilities and charisma – while she had been the one to bright his day.

Tetsuhi became a silent shadow, fading to the back. She could _make_ her presence so weak that even their father had trouble finding her when she didn't want to be found. As usual, her twin was the only one who could accomplish that.

During their elementary schools days, the Akashi twins weren't seen apart once. They liked to walk holding hands and talk peacefully. They could complete each other phrases and understand what the other was feeling with one look. They improved their skills and acquired new ones together.

As time went by, Tetsuhi stopped having her eyes full of tears and her nights full of bad dreams. Seijūro started to grow taller than her by their eighth birthday whereas until then they had the same height. As they became pre-teens, the twins could be mistaken for older and younger sibling. The heterochromatic-eyed boy had wider shoulders and longer legs, while the teal-haired girl had tiny fingers and waist-length hair that only appeared to make her look shorter.

They stopped taking baths together – not because they were embarrassed about seeing the other, but simply because Takahiro, their butler, had deemed them too old for this. Seijūro and Tetsuhi tried to ignore, but the old man was adamant about breaking this habit - though not even Takahiro could stop them from sharing the same room.

When the time to enter a middle school came, they both decided to go to Teiko Middle School. Most would think that it was because of the curriculum or its sports distinction – but they'd be wrong. The Akashi twins went there because it was near their home. People tended to assume that they were scary and/or manipulative. Actually – well – they _were _right… They both were owners of brilliant minds. But not _everything _was done with cruel intentions.

Being so, the twins were more than ready for the start of their middle school life.

Seijūro knew with no doubt that he'd be walking with his sister to their school while holding her hand. Some would think of it as weird, but since when did either of them care about it? And Tetsuhi knew with no doubt that her brother would be beside her, calling her his "Tetsu-hime" and playing her hair as he always did. In fact, the small girl never made a ponytail herself, Seijūro always made it for her.

It was a sweet side of him that nobody could see. Only her.

The same could be said about Tetsuhi's smiles. Only Seijūro saw them.

And, really, they were happy like this – merely breathing together was enough.


	2. Class 1-B

**Warnings**: fem!Kuroko, Akashi!Kuroko, spoilers, protective!MiraGen, and blah, blah (same warning from the first chapter. If there's a new one I'm just going to say…)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke… such a pity!**

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**Chapter 1: Class 1-B**

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** "N**e, Seijūro-nii, do you think we are going to have friends this time?"

Tetsuhi was a quiet girl – not shy, she just chose to let her brother speak instead of her. As said twins walked down the street toward their middle school, both were holding each other's hand.

Seijūro smiled softly at his sister.

"As long as you're happy, Tetsu-hime," was his response.

Tetsuhi grew up listening to this answer. Seijūro was a kind older twin, always protecting her from mean bullies that liked to take advantage of her short stature and fragile appearance. His red eyes never look at her angrily or accusingly, and his hand is always there to take hers.

The shorter and younger twin was also quieter than her red-haired brother, staying slightly behind him and letting him do the talking. She was used to being overlooked as her weak presence surrounded her tiny body. Even though Tetsuhi had huge baby-blue eyes and waist-length powder-blue hair that should be enough for one to be noticed, she could disappear and leave no traces.

They were still twelve and would only be thirteen by the end of their school year, but the Akashi twins doubtlessly were one of the smartest people in their newest school: Teiko Middle School. It was a big building with lots of classrooms and totally dedicated to exceeding in everything it offered, be it practical or intellectual.

Growing up in household that had the motto "excellency in all areas" drilled into their head, the twins were sure that they would breeze through this school.

The little things didn't know who they were just about to meet.

* * *

**T**he opening ceremony was boring, but Tetsuhi expected nothing less. The principal, Fukuzawa Yukichi, kept repeating "winning is everything" and "Teikou only accepts the very best", and synonyms. While the bluenette agreed that winning _was _important, she didn't think that losing was necessarily bad. You could have fun while losing too.

Seijūro was listening to the principal, but half-heartedly. When the man finally stopped talking, wishing good look and a good year for all of them, was when the boy finally spoke his opinion.

"This man is a fool."

And Tetsuhi couldn't agree more.

Seijūro tugged their intertwined hands, "Let's go see which classroom is ours."

There was a board outside the auditorium they were sitting and was full of curious students. Tetsuhi could see friends greeting each other, some happy for being in the same class, some sad for being separated. She saw a giant purple-haired boy walking towards the main building, following the mass of students.

_He is really tall_, she though distractedly. Suddenly, Seijūro stopped in his tracks and, ever in tune with her twin, Tetsuhi didn't hesitate to do the same even while not paying attention.

"What happened, Onii-san?" She asked, sure that this wasn't his normal behavior.

He pointed to some _kanjis _written on a paper hanging on the board.

_Akashi Seijūro_ said the small characters. And the small girl immediately noticed what was wrong. Her name wasn't right under his. _Akashi Tetsuhi _was written in another square, indicating that she was in Class 1-B. The name _Aomine Daiki _was under hers and the name _Akatsuka Chihiro _above hers, but there was no _Akashi _in her class. Except for her, that is.

She had never been separated from her brother before.

They had been in the same class during all their elementary years and had expected it to be the same during their middle ones. They had assumed that most schools would just let twins stay together since it was the obvious thing to do. They hadn't planned their days separated. They did everything together. They did, they do, they will – it had always been this way. Never he and she, but _they._

"Sei-nii," she murmured, suddenly feeling cold. Ever since the death of their mother, Seijūro had been her pillar of strength. When standing beside him, Tetsuhi felt as if everything was going to be alright. How was she going to manage without him?

He let his hands fall over her shoulders and, for a moment, Tetsuhi felt as if the weight of the world was also there. His red eyes were serious and his lips, in a thin line.

"We'll try to change it later, alright? If we don't go now, we're going to be late. You'll be fine, Tetsuhi."

Said girl couldn't even remember the last time her brother had called her Tetsuhi instead of hime. She nodded with eyes full of unshed tears and followed him to the main building. She could, though, remember the last time she cried.

* * *

**C**lass 1-B was cold.

Not in the literal sense of the word, since Tokyo was warm around this time of the year, but metaphorically speaking. There were pre-teens and teens chatting excitedly while waiting for their teacher. But there was no Akashi Seijūro.

Its class teacher was called Amagawa Suzuki. She appeared to be kind, but Tetsuhi couldn't bring herself to cheer up at this fact. She was sitting in the first table right on the front, because Suzuki-sensei asked her students to sit accordingly to their height. Tetsuhi was the shortest one, being only a-hundred and forty-nine centimeters (4'11").

"Well, students, I'm your homeroom teacher for the rest of this year, so let us get along, ne?" She smiled, receiving some grins in return.

Tetsuhi kept quiet during most classes in the morning, answering when the teachers called her name and were surprised to see her right in front of them. Her classmates were also surprised, even though she hadn't moved out of her chair the start of classes.

When the bell rang, signalizing the lunch break, Tetsuhi got up from her chair and took her bento out of her bag. A girl stopped in front of her. She had pink hair and eyes, and was smiling. Since she sat two tables behind Tetsuhi, said girl knew that the pinkette was taller even while sitting.

"Hi! I wanted to introduce myself to you but the teachers never give us a break," the girl pouted and her short hair danced with her. "I'm Momoi Satsuki, let's be friends!"

Tetsuhi wasn't shy. She had no qualms about talking to strangers or speaking in front of people. But she was at loss of what to do. When she asked her brother earlier this day if they were going to make friends, she had planned on letting him talk. Seijūro was better at socializing than her.

_But Seii-nii isn't here, is he?_, an annoying voice appeared to whisper in her mind. Tetsuhi inwardly sighed. That's right, he was not.

A dark-skinned boy was passing beside Momoi when said pink-haired girl grasped his hand.

"Oow, whatta hell Satsuki!" The boy complained. Apparently, the slightly taller girl was strong.

"Dai-chan, don't be mean. I'm talking to our new friend," the pinkette reprehended.

_Dai-chan _was tall – at least twenty centimeters taller than Tetsuhi – and had dark blue hair. It was difficult to think of him as _chan._

He sighed.

"My name is Aomine Daiki. Nice to meet you."

The small girl took his hand, "I'm Akashi Tetsuhi, and it's nice to meet you too."

"Want to lunch with us? We're going to buy something to eat," the boy pointed over his shoulder to the corridor.

Tetsuhi shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to eat with my brother."

"Oh, you have a brother?" Momoi whined. "I wanted to have one too, but I am an only child. It's so boring. The only one I have near my house is Dai-chan, but he's kinda stupid."

"Hey!" Said boy complained, but not whole-heartedly. It was as if he was already used to be called so.

Momoi grasped Tetsuhi's tinier hand.

"Let's go call your brother to lunch with us too. Which class is senpai's?"

Tetsuhi shook her head once again, making blue-haired curls fly everywhere, "He's my twin and he's in class 1-A."

Momoi's pink eyes were sparking.

"_Sugoiii_, we have a couple of twins in our year, Dai-chan, isn't it cool?"

"Yeah, yeah," the dark-skinned boy agreed, apparently used to his childhood friend quirks.

They walked toward class 1-A with Momoi doing the talking for them.

"Ne, Akashi-chan, which club are you going to enter?"

"I don't know yet," she answered. _Probably just the one Sei-nii enters: basketball. _They played the sport since they were kids and both of them were good at it.

"Dai-chan is going to enter the basketball club and I'll enter the arts club. I hope it's fun."

Aomine proceed to talk about basketball. There was no doubt that he loved the sport, because he couldn't stop talking about it until they reached Tetsuhi's brother's classroom.

Seijūro was sitting in the fourth table of his classroom, since he wasn't small as Tetsuhi. As soon as he saw his sister, he got up from his chair and walked toward her with his bento and a tall boy following him. It was the purple-haired giant that the younger Akashi twin saw earlier today.

"Hi, Sei-nii-san," she greeted with a small smile, grasping his hand. "This is Momoi Satsuki and Aomine Daiki. They're in my class."

Seijūro nodded his head toward said people.

"Nice to meet you – I'm Akashi Seijūro, Tetsuhi's older twin."

The purple-haired boy was eating a pack of marshmallows, not paying attention to them. He was tall enough to look over their heads.

"Atsushi," Seijūro called the giant's attention. "This is my sister, Tetsuhi, the one I was telling you about."

"Hi, Hime-chin," the taller freshman said to the small girl, who blinked owlishly.

Aomine was scratching his cheek.

"Are you guys close or what? For him to call you hime and all…" he trailed off.

Tetsuhi wasn't the type of girl to blush at this kind of comment, so, she answered naturally, "No, it's the first time I meet…?"

"Murasakibara Atsushi," the tall freshman introduced himself, happily munching his marshmallow.

"It's the first time I meet Murasakibara-kun," the younger twin finished her phrase.

"So, why…?" Aomine was confused.

The older Akashi took pity on him – or probably just wanted to eat his lunch – and answered, "I frequently call my sister Tetsu-hime. Atsushi, no doubt, only heard the last part."

"I pay attention to you, Aka-chin," said purple-haired boy, now licking a lollipop bigger than Tetsuhi's head. Where had it come from?

The group started to walk toward the cafeteria to eat their lunch. Momoi was squealing while looking at the twins intertwined hands and chatting about whatever came at her mind. Aomine interrupted to continue his babbling about basketball and Murasakibara made his own share of noise munching his snacks.

Looking at her newest friends – and first ones, since Seijūro was beside her since they were born – Tetsuhi felt as if being in a class separated from her brother's wasn't going to be so bad.

But, even so, it could be just because she was still walking hand-in-hand with Seijūro at the time she thought this.

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**Author's Note:**

Well, people, I must thank you all for the reviews – I absolutely love to hear that you like the story. I know that this chapter is short, but I'll compensate later, okay? I wrote it quickly after reading your reviews (it made me want to write!).

I probably won't post a chapter every week because, here in Brazil, it's the end of my school year and I'm gonna have lots of exams to do… urgh. I also have my ballet recital and the First Cambridge Exam (FCE test) to do in December, so, yeah, I'm busy (*sniff* *sniff*). Wish me luck people… though reviews can make me write faster and arrange time ( :D Every author can bribe their readers :D)

Until next time, people,

Amy.


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